Shipping tag



Nov. 1, 1949 s. s. ALLENDER 2,486,726

SHIPPING TAG Filed March 30, 1946 To JOHN 005 COMM/0' CLEVELAND OHIO JOl/N no: comm? CLEVELA/Vfl oma JOHN 005 COMPANY CL VLANO Oil/0 FRW JOHNDOfi COMPANY CLEVELAND OHIO JOHN 005 COMPANY L CLEVELAND OHIO v ,NVEN OR.

6 MM M Patented Nov. 1, 1949 Tim Harsnaw" Chemical Gompany,

Cleveland;

This invention relates to stirring tag and more particularly to a type or Shipping tags adaptedfor shipment to a consignee and retiirii bythe consignee with aminimum= or efiort=* to markthe package for re=ccnsirnment one type of" situation i whicn m improved shipping tags are useful is in theshipment" of goods in returnable containers; that is;. contai'ners that are sent out'fu'll' and returnedempty for" refilling and further shipment. Tnese- 1 11!- proved tags are useful also in other analogous situations; for example; for shipping g'ood's' to a repair establishment to be repaired-"and returned to the sender orfor shipping goods the prospees tive customer to be examined and returned if unsatisfactory. Whiletheser and other analogous uses will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. my invention will Be-deSBripeG hereinafter with referenceuse in connection with returnable containers; & p The object of the invention; broadly "stated, is to provide shipping tags comp-os'ed or two portions so disposed that one oi tnem' is listed for the outgoing trip and the other for the return trip, and the two parts being so" related that" no confusion can result due to the return tag being visible on the out goihg' trip. A further ob ject is to minimize the chaneethattlte tag'ear'i be injured onthe out-going: trip: in a; way that might result in exposing the return tag: and thereby reversing the directionof shipment before the oods reach their destination. A further object is to provide:- a shipping tag construction includingout-going and return we portions so related to each: othervthat when the address of the consignee. ror' the: out-going trip written on the out ge-Eng tag portion, the return tag will at the same time be marked for the return trip with: an indication of the name of the. consig'nor as to the return trip.

With the foregoing and otnera'nd more limited objects in view'theinvention consists in. the various novel features indicated in tms specification and illurtrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. I is: a treat elevation at "one embodiment of the mventiomanigt 2 is: a heel; view or the embod'mentshow-n Fig. 1 Fig; 3 is a front View of the"return" tag whichadapted to be received in: the envelope shown m me; I; Fig. 4 is ad'evelopmcnt'of the envelope shown i i-1 Figs, 1 and 2; showing the outsma -su face; Pie. 5 is a sim lar ifevefpm'ent showrn the tie surface; Fig. 6' isa view similar to-Fig; 1 wherein, however, a portion of the envelope folded back to snow the r'el atlonship'of the partsof the-com ifilete' device; the return tag also being folded back? to indicate its relationship to" the envelope; Fig; 7 is a development of the front face of" a modified form of the invention and Fig". 8 is a similar development showing the: rear face.

Referring now to the drawings wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout, and. describing" first the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the numeral H) indicates the front face of an en"- vel'ope provided. with flaps: H, I2 and li3 which fold into place asi'ndicatecf most clearlyin Fig; 2 to form the envelope. It will be understood, of course. that these flaps are secured in the. positions shown" in Fig. 2 by means of? suitable. adhesive preferablyof the waterproof'variety; The envelope face is provided with a grommet l4 and-the flaps H and" i2 are provided with similar grommets l5- and I6" which register with the grommet [4 when the envelope is formed to the shape indicated in Figs; 1 and 2; The grommet l5 may be omitted if desireci'for' the purpose of causing the overlapping", ed'gesof flaps H and 12 to be in contact throughout their.- lengths; The

, front face ID" ofthe envelope is divided into two spaces which may be designated as the "To" space and the From space; As indicated, the From space may contain the name of the consignor and may' be" printed. The T0 space is to contain the name of the customer or the cons-ign'ee. On the back of the To space; the paper will be providedwith-a carbon coating l'i so that whenthename of'the customer orconsigneeis typed or otherwisewrit'terr on the To space; a carbon copycan he made on the "return tag within the envelope at the same time.

In Fig. have shown the return tag adapted to be received in the envelope of Figs. 1 and- 2 and it will be noted that this" return tag' is of a size slightly smaller than the envelope so that it may be received therein. The return tag is designated by the numeral It and" provided with a grommet 19 which will registerwith the grommets M, P5 and It when the return tag is placed in the envelope. It will thus be seen that on the out going-"trip a wire mas be passed 1 through all the grommets for securing'the tag to a returnable container.

The return tag, like the'iace of the envelope, is divided into two parts, a From space and a To'=space: In this: case; however, it will be noted." that the F'rorn" space is sopositioned that when the return tazg' It? is: placed in the envelope From" space'will' be directly itrndeithe rb' space on the envelope; in the case of the tag I 8, the name of the conslgnor is placed in the To space and may be printed while the From space is left blank when the device is manufactured so as to receive by means of the carbon coating H the same name and address which is placed on the To space on the envelope face I 0.

It will thus be seen that in use the device consists of an assembly which can be secured to a returnable container or package by means of a wire passing through the grommets l4, l5, l6 and I9 and which will have the name of the customer or consignee typed or otherwise written in the To space on the envelope and in the From space on the tag I8 which will be contained in the envelope. When the customer receives the consigment he unties the wire, slips the tag I8 out of the envelope, discards the envelope and reattaches the tag l8 to the container by means of the wire passing through the grommet l9.

The envelope and tag l8 will be composed of any suitable material such as tag linen, manila paper or plastic sheet materials if desired. Ordinarily I prefer to have the tag l8 composed of relatively heavy material while the envelope will be composed of material much lighter than the tag.- In this way the envelope can be thin enough that it will not interfere with the transfer by means'of the carbon coatin IT to the tag I8 of the material written in the To space on the envelope. At the same time, the tag l8 being relatively heavy will help to stiffen the envelope on the out-going trip so that it will not need to be as heavy as would otherwise be the case.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a modified form t of the invention consisting of three portions 26,

2| and 22, each of tag size. The portion 28 contains no printed matter. The portion 22 will be used as the out-going tag while the portion 2| will be used as the return tag. The portion 22 is provided with a To space which is left blank and a From space on which is printed the name and address of the consignor. The return tag portion 2| is provided with a From space and a To space which contains the name and address of the consignor. On the back of the To space of the out-going tag 22 I provide a carbon coating as indicated in Fig. 8. The tag portions 28, 2| and 22 are provided respectively with grommets 23, 24 and 25 which are adapted to register when the tag portions are folded along the dotted lines. The dotted line between the portions 20 and 2| may and preferably does indicate a line of perforations to permit easy tearing of the return tag portion from the remainder of the assembly for the return trip. The dotted line between the portions 20 and 22 preferably does not indicate perforations but only a fold line so that it will be relatively difiicult to tear along that line. When the tag assembly is to be used, the portion 2| is first folded against the portion 20 along the dotted line between the portions 20 and 2| with the printed matter on the outside. The portion 22 is then folded over with the printed matter on the outside and overlies the portion 2| with the carbon coating in contact with the From space of the portion 2|. The name of the consignee is then typed or otherwise written on the To space of the out-going tag portion 22 and is transferred by means of the carbon coating to the From space on the return tag portion 2|. Since the grommets 23, 24 and 25 will then be in registration,

. a wire may be passed through all three of such grommets and thus attach the tag assembly to the returnable container. When the consignee return tag adapting it for use as an receives the container and empties it he unties the wire from the container, removes it from the grommets, tears off the return portion 2| along the line of perforations between the portions 2| and 20 and discards the portions 20 and 22. The wire is then passed through the grommet 24 and re-attached to the container for return shipment. It will be seen that the return tag portion 2| will be enclosed between the portions 20 and 22 and thus will be unlikely to become exposed during the out-going trip and will be kept in good condition for use on the return trip. I prefer to print in large letters on the back of the tag 3 and on-the back of the return tag portion 2| the word Empty so as to indicate to the carrier that it is an empty container which is being returned.

While I have shown and described the present preferred embodiments of my invention, I wish it understood that other embodiments are possible and that I am limited only in accordance with the appended claims and the prior art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A shipping tag including an out-going tag, a return tag and a portion connected to said out-going tag and cooperating therewith to enfold said return tag, indicia on the front faces of said tags indicating a division of the area thereof into To" and From spaces, the To space so indicated on the out-going tag being in superposed relation to the From space so indicated on the return tag, a carbon surface carried by the out-going tag on the back thereof in contact with the From space of the return tag and means carried .by said tags for attachment thereof to a shipping package.

2. A shipping tag in accordance with claim 1 further characterized in that said tags are integral with a connector element of approximately their own length and breadth whereby they may be folded into overlapping relation with the return tag enfolded between said out-going" tag and said connector.

3. A shipping tag comprising an elongated envelope sealed along two sides and having at least one open end, registering openings in the front and rear faces of said envelope adjacent an open end, a return tag received in said envelope, being of approximately the same length and breadth as said envelope and having an opening adjacent one end located to register with said openings in said envelope, indicia on one face of said envelope indicating a division of the area thereof into To and From spaces, indicia on one face of said indicating a division of the area thereof into a From space and a To space, the To space of said envelope being in superposed relation to the From space of said return tag and a carbon surface carried by the inner surface of said envelope in contact with the From space of said return tag.

4. A shipping tag comprising a piece of sheet material adapted to be folded into three portions one being an out-going tag portion, one being a return tag portion and the third being a connecting portion connecting the other two portions, said portions being of approximately equal width whereby they may be folded into overlapping relation with each other with one portion enfolded between the other two, indicia on said enfolded portion adapting it for use as a return tag and indicia on the other portion having a free edge out-going tag and a carbon surface on the back surface of said outgoing tag in contact with the front surface of said "return" tag the front faces of said tag portions carrying indicla dividing the area into To and From spaces, the To space of the outgoing tag being in superposed relation to the From space of said return tag.

5. A shipping tag including an out-going tag in the form of an envelope, a return tag adapted to be received in said envelope and being of approximately the same length and breadth as said envelope, said tags having indicia indicating a division of the areas thereof into T0" and From spaces, the To space so indicated on the face of the "out-going tag being in superposed relation to the From space so indicated on the return tag, a carbon surface carried by the face of the "out-going tag on the back surface thereof in contact with the From space of the return tag,

10 Number and means carried by said tags for attachment thereof to a shipping package.

SAMUEL S. ALLENDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

